What a wonderful and holy and blessed feast we had at Easter - the weather was perfect for the Paschal Fire (well done men – no one was burnt) - the Paschal Candle was carried without blowing out and the servers did everything perfectly. Thank you again to Franca and helpers for the beautiful flowers and the glorious Easter Garden - to our sacristans who spent hours on the linens and the silver and brass etc, the Readers, - to the choir and the organists – the church cleaners and polishers and printers and arrangers. All was done well and our Risen Lord, was powerful fully proclaimed. That was Easter and two Infant Baptisms topped it all.

You will notice that the statue of our Lord in front of the altar has our Lord greeting us with his hand uplifted in blessing. You will also notice that you can see the wounds on our Lord’s Risen Body. This is a great sign you know and one which the Four Evangelists placed great stress on. Jesus showed the wounds made by the nails and the lance - not the ones made by the scourging and the crowning with thorns.

This was to show that he was continuous with the person that apostles saw dying and dead. In fact St Peter will later say "By his wounds, we have been healed". The Sacred Wounds was the object of great and tender devotion in the pre Reformation Catholic Church. Folk would carry with them - printed on linen cloths, the five wounds and pray before them. Saints would talk of "hiding" in the wounds of Christ. They were marks of this tremendous love and the cost he bore to make up for our offences. The price paid for us was paid not in silver and gold but in the blood of that precious and spotless lamb - Jesus Christ.

The Hymn "Soul of my Saviour" prays: "Wash me with water flowing from thy side" and "deep in thy wounds, Lord, hide and shelter me." That hymn was written by Pope John 22nd (1316 – 1334).

When we see Christ in Heaven after we die, we will see him bearing those precious marks of the nails and the lance just as he showed them the apostles in the Gospel assigned to this Sunday when he showed them "his hands and his side". Imagine that ? Mel Gibson did not get to show those details of our Lord’s torn and broken body restored to beauty and glory. Our Blessed Lord, newly Risen from the Dead was no longer subject to the physical laws of matter. He came and he went at will and spent hours and hours teaching them after the resurrection.

It is this body of Teaching, coming from the Master’s lips that formed the original "Deposit of Faith" which the Catholic Church still holds in its vast spiritual treasury and which assures us, in these rebellious times of what is true and from God and what is false and not from God.

May the Easter Joy be with you again and always.

Father Tom Connolly

A programme is being made for Irish TV and I want as many old photos of the happenings and people of St Kentigern's Social Club that you may have. I will look after them carefully and return them to you by my own hand after I have taken a copy of them. Please help - it is our history and the original members are getting fewer amongst us!!! Father Tom

Pro-Life Alliance petition to the EU

Your help asked for: The Pro-Life Alliance have contacted me asking for help to achieve signatures for an important petition to the EU. The petition has been organised by a coalition of pro-life organisations throughout Europe in order to provide protection for the human embryo. This is intended to build on a successful case brought by Greenpeace in October 2011 in which they persuaded the Court of Justice of the EU to prohibit the patenting of human embryos for research purposes. The petition can be accessed on the One of Us website.

PRIEST. The Doors were closed in the upper room but you entered and filled the apostles with joy at the sight of your bodily presence. Listen O Lord to our confidant prayers which we make now for our needs and the needs of the whole world.

Reader: We pray to God for all, like Thomas, who find faith difficult without touch or proof. Lift the veil from people's eyes so that they may be filled with a lively Easter faith. We commend to God those under Instruction. Lord in your mercy.

For the gift of Christ's most precious wounds on this Divine Mercy Sunday - that all will find consolation and peace in them. We pray that the human person may be respected in embryonic form and the source of true Fatherhood for children be acknowledged. Lord in your mercy.

For all priest in their ministry of imparting the forgiveness of Christ through the sacrament of penance - that they be true and wise pastors and councillors of souls in the ways of true virtue. Lord in your mercy.

For all the victims of war in so many parts of our poor world and especially Syria and Iraq and the Land of our Lord's Birth and for the victims who are little children. We pray that the suicide bombers cease their evil ways in destroying the innocent. Lord in your mercy.

Comfort our sick and renew their strength; deliver them from all pain and distress. We pray for all our sick who have sought our prayers that they may find healing in the wounds of Jesus:- Agnes Halligan, Pat Alcroft, Enrico Azicate, Mary Molloy, Mary Tivnan, PeggyForkan, Marjorie Walsh, Phylis King. Lord in your mercy.

For all those who have died that they may gaze upon the Risen One who has vanquished death forever - Raymond Mackle, Joan Ray, Chris Keary, Martina Mitchell, Patrick Lee, Michael Towey AND For all whose anniversaries fall about now: Cronin Deegan (VIGIL) John Thomas Byrne, Patrci McAllister, Paddy Lyden, Molloy and Grennan Families deceased, 11AM Mass, Afran Zair.

May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed.

Mary Most Holy, Mary Mother of the Risen Lord - pray for us your children. O Mary, conceived without sin. Pray for us who have recourse to thee. Hail Mary.

Priest: Watch over your little flock O Lord and guard us from the Ancient Enemy in this Holy Time of Easter and hear and answer our prayers. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.